Rye: Demanding district supports its teachers

Jan. 15, 2008

Rye Middle School English teacher Craig Dreves, left, and math teacher John Aguilar meet with other teachers in a team meeting at the school to coordinate curriculum and instruction. / Mark Vergari/The Journal News

Written by

Diana Costello

The Journal News

RYE - Passing a school budget is often described as the most political process around, because it's the only vote residents cast that will directly affect their taxes.

"The philosophy I brought 12 years ago -and it's not earth-shaking -is that the budget and the tax rate are a political decision, not an educational decision," Rye Superintendent Edward Shine said. "We are a community that values education ... and we ought to be able to prove that our actions have value."

According to an analysis by The Journal News, Rye has proved its worth by being one of eight local school districts to outperform the others when it comes to high student achievement and below-average taxation.

The average residential school property-tax bill was $9,321 for the 2005-06 school year, and 93.9 percent of students met or exceeded standards in third grade through high school.

Part of the trick of keeping taxes at a reasonable level involves prioritizing, Shine said.

Officials ask the Board of Education to create a target it thinks the community will support, and then the spending plan is crafted based on that goal.

It also helps that Rye doesn't have to worry about the cost of transportation. The district is small enough that it did away with busing in the early 1990s, saving about $200,000 at the time, Shine said.

As everywhere, most spending in Rye is for salaries and benefits, which officials say is worth it.

"I so believe the school is only as good as the teachers," Rye Middle School Principal Ann Edwards said.

Among its programs to support teachers, the district has a mentor program to help with everything from classroom strategies to resolving problems. New teachers are assigned mentors according to grade and subject matter.

Though they get a good share of support, teachers also must fulfill high expectations.

At the middle school, teachers are required to meet as a small team at least three times a week to discuss ways to integrate lessons across the curriculum. Teachers also use this time to ensure no student is falling behind.

"I've worked in seven states. I've worked in public, private and parochial education. And I have to say ... it's pretty amazing how much care is given to each child," said Pam Park, a middle school social studies teacher.

This extra attention helps ease the pressure of state tests, making high scores seem like a convenient byproduct, educators said.

"I don't feel it," Edwards said of teacher-testing anxiety. "I don't feel it because I think if we do the right thing and we're doing a good job, it follows that the children do well on the assessments."

State tests are seen as just the beginning in Rye.

"We think that they adequately reflect the minimum requirements for the state," Shine said. "We feel that our curriculum goes far beyond the minimums of the state's."